


Always More

by TotalFanFreak



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:56:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6830611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotalFanFreak/pseuds/TotalFanFreak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alidah Eld always thought she knew who and what she could trust in. But the longer she stays in Mystic Falls the deeper she entwines herself in a never ending puzzle that makes her question everything that was once her life. And with the more she learns the more she wishes she had been kept in the dark. AU DamonxOC, slight StefanxOC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"It's a thief in the night, to come and grab you.  
It can creep up inside you, and consume you.  
A disease of the mind, it can control you.  
It's too close for comfort." - Disturbia

They were just stairs, nothing particularly special. They were the exact same stairs she had been up and down for a good portion of her childhood. So why is she so stricken with fear? Maybe it was that her brother had woken her up screaming and shaking her like a ragdoll, maybe it was the fact her brother was taking her down them at a break-neck speed or it could have been the black smoke billowing behind them as each room began to set ablaze. But she knew those things weren't the true cause of her horror. A feeling was beginning to unwind and tighten simultaneously inside her. An old twisted feeling that went off in her head like a flare gun that told her something was waiting down those stairs; something that wanted them, something hurtful and evil and she didn't want to see it. But she was being pulled down the steps whether she wanted it or not. Her brother called out for their parents.

"Mom? Dad? Where are you?" Her brother called out.

Yes, where were they? There was no way they would have left the house without them. Not the doting parents she knew. Then a flash burst within her mind, reaching for her, hurting her eyes. Shaking her head she dug her heels into the floor as they approached the kitchen.

'No, not in there,' she began pleading silently with her brother, hoping he would seek an alternate route. 'That's where It is! That's exactly where It wants us to go.'

But what was It, and why was It after them? What could they have possibly done to gain such evil's attention? She couldn't fathom an answer, and dear Lord, she didn't want to at that moment. She just wanted to find a way out of the house that didn't involve going in that room.

But flames were beginning to surround them now, the house was starting to give under the weight of fire and ash, and no other exit seemed possible. And she knew that was Its intention all along, just to make them go in there. As she was being led she felt her chest tighten. The room was still dark, the fire not having reached it enough to illuminate it. As they went inside she felt something gooey dampen her socks. The liquid seeping in between her toes thick enough to make them stick together like glue. Everything would have been okay if it would just stay dark, keep her blind.

She could though, God, she could see! It was as if a spotlight had been turned on as the kitchen lights roared to level of brightness that reached far beyond their capacity nearly blinding her; but not enough to. There were huddled masses on the floor and blood dripping from the ceiling as she saw her father's blank eyes stared at her swinging to and from. She realized her brother was gone now, and she was more terrified by the second. As she was backing away she felt something brush against her. She turned and saw her once beautiful momma sprawled out all across the floor, her mother was reaching out for her mouthing something resembling, "Run!"

But she couldn't run, her gaze had slipped, looking just beyond her mother her eyes fell on a pair of crimson red eyes. So deeply dark the longer she stared felt an eternity of lost love, hope, or escape. She heard sirens approaching, but she still couldn't avert her eyes, she was frozen in a land of fire and smoke. Doing the only thing she could think of, she opened her mouth wide and screamed as darkness swallowed her whole.


	2. The Start

"There is always more to give. Always more to take.

Always more to love. Always more to hate.

Though there is always more to learn.

There is always more than meets the eye."

Alidah already knew her first day at school wasn't going to be pleasant. Not just because of the nightmare and not because she fell onto a pile of clothes she had left on the floor last night. No, it was just a feeling. She got hunches sometimes - usually either a tightening or expanding within her chest that lured her onto something, and knew it was usually wise not to ignore them. There was some kind of static in the air around her, leaving her wary to leave.

But she wanted this to work so badly. She was sent here to have a chance to lead a normal teenage life, or something close to it, wasn't she? And though her beloved brother, Frey, abandoned her to find his self or something, she knew he was going to come back to her. Until then she had come into a comfortable niche with her "cousins," the Gilberts. It wasn't home, but she was okay with it. It almost seemed her parents had predicted every detail of every scenario. When the memorial for them was over her and her brother were shipped to their "Aunt" Brigid, and though somewhat strict she loved them in her own way. And if there was anytime something came up and she could no longer take care of them, which had but a long time coming, there were other surrogate families to take over and substitute.

There were no real blood relations apart from her and her parents, even Frey was adopted after they had found him through their travels. Alidah remembered her mother explaining to her it was something in their genes making it hard for them to have children and carry them to term. Alidah herself was a happy accident, her mother able to have her, though thanks to the genetics, her and her family had to endure the repercussions. Alidah's immune system was out of whack: she had neurological issues sometimes resulting in seizures, and she was constantly anemic. It was inconvenient, but as always, her parents had it under control and were able to handle it. They had proved all the doctors wrong as they predicted her passing before her fourth birthday. But she lived, and though it was an annoying hazard to her and her family. Yet they all lived well and happy.

Even if there were no blood relatives left, her parents traveled, and the couple became well loved and respected by many people. The Gilberts were some of them, when the two pairs met years ago during their college years abroad. When Íde, Alidah's mother, got pregnant with her, the Gilberts talked them into settling into the small town of Mystic Falls. Life was good there, and not long after she was born, mom's suburban lifeline, "Aunt" Miranda, had brought home a little girl of her own.

Elena and Alidah had become close as sisters; living side by side they were able to sneak into one another's rooms at night for impromptu sleepovers. They joined Girl Scouts together, though they were kicked out for eating their inventory of cookies instead of selling them, and attending church and cheerleading camps together. Their sisterhood had even branched out to include Bonnie and Caroline. The four musketeers: Elena, practical and the voice of reason; Bonnie, sweet and fearless; Caroline, perky and dramatic; and Alidah, open-minded and timid. But her parent's wanderlust kicked back in and sadly they uprooted a bit after her eighth birthday. From that she gained her brother, and plenty of happy memories.

Until the fire.

It still haunted her constantly, but she couldn't let it overtake her, especially not today. No, after being gone for nearly eight years she had to quit living in circles and make it fresh.. Her family would want that. Truthfully she did too.

She had already showered and thrown on her neon shorts, tunic tee, and a short sleeve cardigan. She figured she would do her best to tame her long hair, by securing it at the back. She slung on her high tops and headed next door to Elena's room. Her door was slightly cracked and looking in, Alidah saw Elena lost in thought while writing in her journal. Alidah knew she was having her own conflicts about today since her parents' accident so she headed downstairs, not wanting to disturb her.

Physically she was feeling alright, and was hoping to sneak out without her oxygen tank, wanting everything to go smoothly. Besides she had her inhaler if she needed it. She ate herself some toast and poured some coffee in a to-go mug when she heard Jenna scrambling around.

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared."

Alidah smiled. To her Jenna was a teen still herself and suddenly to have to switch from that into parental mode couldn't have been easy on her. "It'll be okay Jen. Lena's upstairs writing, I don't want to bug her, so I thought since there's time I'd walk to school today. I need to clear my head myself." She wasn't facing Jen, afraid she would see her not wearing the tank but she knew Jen was conflicted by the pause. "You sure that's wise Ali?"

She shrugged, "It'll be fine, and I'll call Elena or Bonnie to get me if I get tired or something." With that she was out the door. Silently, Alidah congratulated herself but hurried along in case someone thought to call her back inside.

The air was perfect for her head; it was dewy, and cool lying upon her skin like a silk sheet. It was nice to be in a small town again. Usually it was either complete seclusion or big cities for her family. The close knit homes that had flower beds and trees all up and down the sidewalks was refreshing. Taking a turn she decided to cut through the cemetery.

She wondered how weird she was for liking it there. It was just so incredibly peaceful and somehow she felt a connection with it. Elena had been coming to visit her parents' grave daily and Alidah had accompanied her once and had instantly been drawn there. The two girls had re-bonded and become close again because of it. It was a time to grieve what was taken and lost. A time to try and connect to the deceased, ask questions, wait.

She knelt down and put her hand on the Gilbert headstone. She had begun pretending it was her own parents' grave sometimes, her parents deciding to give their bodies to whatever university would take them. "First come, first serve," as her father explained it.

A loud caw brought her back to reality. She spun around to find a very large crow perched upon an angel statue. She smirked, "Quoth the Raven, nevermore." With that, the bird cascaded down on a closer tomb, tilting its head in almost interest. She chuckled. Ruffling through her bag she found a pack of snack crackers. She crushed some up and placed it near the bird, which surprisingly hadn't move as she came closer. After a few bites the crow looked back up at her, like it was expecting more. "Sorry, buddy, that's all I have on me."

With that done she turned and headed toward the path; nearing the end of the cemetery she started to notice a shift in the air. She turned around seeing an almost avalanche of smoke. Smoke? How? It was coming at her in wafts and her fight or flight senses kicked in, and she sprinted to get on the road. Escaping the smoke she huddled over and tried to catch her breath. 'Maybe leaving the tank was a bad idea,' she thought.

Then she heard tires screech and a horn blare as she saw Bonnie's Prius spin sideways narrowly missing her. Elena and Bonnie both got out of their car as Alidah and Elena both talked over the other. "Are you okay?" "Jesus! I'm so sorry." Bonnie, the ever fearless, threatened them into the car before they were late on their first day.

Making their way into the building, where they ran into Caroline who bombarded them with hugs. "Oh, you poor things! I'm so glad you're here. How are you holding up? How are they holding up Bonnie?"

Alidah chuckled hugging the other blonde back, "Well, Bonnie tried to run me down with her car, or else I jumped in the way on a suicide mission. The interpretation is still up for grabs."

Caroline's mouth hung open, "Wait what? What is she talking about?"

"I think Lena and Bonnie can give you the details, I still need to pick up my schedule before the bell rings." She walked away, heading for the office they had passed up earlier, still able to hear Caroline's shriek of, "What the hell did I miss?"

Thankfully there was still time before the bell rang since there was a bit of a line in front of her. Giving herself a moment to space out and fall into the easy listening that was playing on a radio in the corner, she lost a bit of time until she caught on to what the boy up front was saying, "If you look again ma'am I'm sure you'll find everything's there."

The secretary looked down again, "You're right, I'm sorry about that Mr. Salvatore, you have a good first day." Salvatore, huh? Sounded Italian: she liked it. Except, she couldn't put her finger on it, but something felt off about him. It seemed to almost bellow out of the young man, like a sign trying to say something was wrong with the guy. But she wasn't going to jump to conclusions on the poor guy - who knows what his story was. So not knowing what it was she decided to ignore it.

With business taken care of, the young man turned and Alidah was lost in a forest. A mixture of wild green and brown met her deep blue and rust. She gave a friendly smile until she realized the guy was looking at her with shock. Damn, did she have something on her? That was exactly the look she was hoping to avoid today.

Not really knowing how to abate the shock she muttered, "Sorry, I must be in the way."

The young man, Salvatore, shook his head then. "No, no. I'm sorry, you just reminded me of someone and it stunned me for a moment." He smiled and held out his hand, "I'm Stefan."

"Salvatore, Italian correct? I heard her say it," pointing to the secretary, "My name's Alidah Eld."

He grinned at her, "Yes, Italian, so Swedish right?" Turning the question on her she merely nodded. Could be, mom was Irish but all dad would say was he was from Norse descent. So Swedish, yeah, why not? "Well, Alidah, it was a pleasure meeting you, I have to get to class but hopefully we'll meet again soon." She smiled, "Likewise." And with that she watched him leave. Class? Oh shit class. The whole reason of coming to school. Hurriedly getting her schedule she ran to her marked class.

"So you ran into him in the bathroom? The boys' bathroom? Elena why?" It was lunchtime and apparently Mr. Salvatore had made another encounter, this time with Elena, who hilariously ran into him at the guys' restroom after she had chewed out Jeremy. "Yeah, it was mortifying, but I don't know, I saw him and instantly felt this like...I don't know."

"Connection?" Alidah finished.

"Yes! Exactly."

Alidah smiled, looking down at her lunch. She knew how Elena felt, there was just something compelling about him. Except Lena's had erred more toward the romantic side of connection - Alidah, not so much. It was more of a nice familiarity. Safe. The bell rang and the other girls groaned, not wanting to return to class. But Alidah didn't have class this period. She would have taken gym this period, but the staff believed it would exert her too much and they didn't want her getting sick. At least, not on school grounds anyway.

So they decided to send her to the library for personal study hour. She wasn't complaining, she had always loved libraries. Spending a good chunk of her life in bed, books had become a good escape for her. Strumming a finger along the books, she settled on one about dream interpretation. It wouldn't really didn't take an expert to decipher why her nightmares were coming back. She hadn't thought back to that day in a while, and with the stress of coming here and going to a new school, just the plain fact that she was trying to move on without any of her family by her side was overwhelming. But that, thing, from her dream, that darkness had not been there before.

Usually her brother got them out through the garage and she'd wake up screaming as the house fell in on itself, and their parents. So why has it changed? What the hell did it even mean? Darkness was easy enough to find: 'Something needing to come to light; fear of the uncertain.' Smoke: 'Blindness; the need to be more open-minded; the suffocating need to branch out of routine.' Flipping through the pages she found her looking up crow finding it stating: 'Death.' "Seriously? That's it?" She angrily shut the book sliding it to the other side of the table, watching in satisfaction when it fell to the floor.

"Just because the story didn't end the way you wanted doesn't mean you should mistreat the books, Miss Eld."

Surprised she looked to find Stefan Salvatore smiling at her in amusement.

"I guess you're right, but the thing did owe me money."

He laughed, taking the seat opposite her.

"So what brings you to this part of the wilderness Mr. Salvatore? Did they bar you from running laps and playing dodgeball as well?"

He shook his head, "Nope, I just already had those credits so it was a choice between this and working as an Assistant Teacher's Aide. And I'd prefer to be alone."

Alidah kind of stiffened at that, why would he sit with her if he was wanting solitude so bad? Catching on to her changed demeanor he quickly said, "I mean to say I prefer the quiet and not having so much going on around me." She nodded, understanding, and before another pause could develop Stefan asked, "Have you read Wuthering Heights?"

She smiled. She had in fact, it had been raining for a week straight during summer vacation and it gave her a chance to cross it off her reading list. And, surprisingly, had loved it. With that they had begun discussing different pieces of literature, everything from A Tale of Two Cities to Justine. Comparing Symbolism, paradoxes, to just analyzing the characters themselves.

"No wait, what's wrong with Dracula?"

Stefan had good-naturedly winced when the title came up, "Don't you think the vampire genre has been a bit overdone lately?"

"True enough, but come on, Bram Stoker was a pioneer of it. I mean we're kind of overdone on cars but we can't beat up Henry Ford because of it can we?"

Stefan shrugged, "Well, he is kind of already dead."

Alidah laughed, "You never know, he could be a vampire."

Stefan chuckled at her absurdity, she leaned forward, "Is it too cliché if we play twenty questions or something?" Stefan tilted his head at her. "I mean all I know about you right now is you're well-read and Italian, unless my friend's right and you play the guitar."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Your friend must be psychic. I can play the guitar and play a bit of the piano when the need arises, how about just 10 questions and I get to ask the first?"

So we're laying down the gauntlets, are we? She smiled sitting back in her chair, waiting for his questions.

"How about something easy...Birthday?"

"Winter baby, February 29th. Explains why I never act my age, you?"

Stefan's eyes did that weird shift again before answering, "Fall child, November 1st."

"Okay, favorite color?"

"I guess blue is my favorite though I like green as well. You?"

"Same. The calming tranquility of blue. The sky, the ocean, it's nice."

"Like your eye?"

Alidah quickly put a hand to the left side of her face. He was right in a sense: she had always been told by her mother someone could fall away into the depth of that eye. The one specified, being a deep cerulean with white bursts at the pupil. The other a brown rich enough it was often confused for red. Sometimes when she looked she mistook it for the rusted color of dried up blood. Stefan reached out and gently brushed her hand away from her face, "Sorry if I offended you, I just meant that they are both lovely."

She flushed, not sure where this was going. Was this flirting or a friendly gesture? She kind of hoped for the gesture. Besides the fact Elena had already felt drawn to him, she didn't see the point of it. She always believed if she felt something about a guy, girl or whatever the feeling would manifest almost instantly. And though she knew she could do a lot worse than the sweet guy right across from her she just didn't feel it from him. So she decided to dismiss it as friendly, and as he put his hand down she spotted something. "Like the blue in your ring too. Lapis, correct?"

He glanced down, "Lapis Lazuli, yes, it's a family heirloom, my brother and I both have one." He grimaced like that had been the wrong thing to say.

"I have a brother too. You're not close though, I take it?"

"We used to be, but as we got older have grown apart, and just don't get along for long periods of time. What about yours?"

She sighed, "The rat turned 18 not too long ago and went globetrotting. But we do web chat and play video games every Saturday together and catch up."

Stefan was about to say something when the bell rang over him. He smiled, "To be continued?"

Alidah grinned and nodded. So...She had been able to make a new friend. Today wasn't turning out as bad as she first believed. After her last class Elena met her on the front steps. "I was going to go visit my parents now, I was seeing if you wanted to come or did you need to go home?"

Her previous encounter had still left her leery, but there was no way she was going to let Elena go there alone, so linking their arms together, she led the way, "After you, Mon Cherie."

It looked normal enough, no sign of smoke or fog or whatever the hell it was. So Alidah settled on a bench and gave Elena a little space as she sat near her parents and got out her journal. She began to doze off when, "Caw!" Spinning around she saw a crow, but there was no way it was THE crow from this morning, don't they like migrate or something before the winter anyways?

"Krowken?"

Elena laughed, "Excuse me?"

"I had a run in with a crow earlier here, and if this is in fact the same one it deserves a name."

"But Krowken? Really?"

"Like the Kraken but a crow. Come on Lena. What's not to get?"

Elena giggled, but her attention drifted back to the bird after a minute, "It's freaking creepy."

The crow cawed as if insulted. "It's only a bird, Lena."

"I don't care, shoo! Go away!" She laughed at Elena's paranoia until she was faced with her own. It was coming back, the smoke fog, it wasn't as fast but it was still coming. Before she could mention it Elena had grabbed her and ran the opposite direction. Was she afraid of it too? "Why are we running?"

"I saw someone, a man coming towards us. We just have to get out of here."

Along the way they had lost their footing and fell on top of one another in the ditch. "Are you both alright?" Both looked up to see Stefan staring down at them in great concern. "Oh, you know, just hanging out."

Stefan helped them both out before Alidah's elbow began to sting. Slightly wincing, she glanced to find she scraped it pretty bad. "You lose any skin Lena?"

Elena rolled up her pants revealing blood flowing from her kneecap, "Yep, that is not pretty at all, is it?" The girls laughed, but Stefan had turned away, "I hope you're both alright, but I have to go now."

"You okay Stefan?"

"Fine, I just really need to be going."

Without a second glance he was gone. Elena turned to her as they began their trudge home. "What do you think that was about?"

Alidah shrugged, "Maybe he's squeamish around blood or something. We all have our little quirks like that. I hate the smoke, you're getting over it with cars, and perhaps blood's Stefan's."

As they entered the home, they greeted Jenna, who seemed to be too busy talking to Jeremy to notice them. Alidah decided to take a shower and laze about, maybe getting a head start on history for tomorrow. Everyone had been right, Tanner was a downright monster. After washing and letting the water unclench her muscles she put on some cotton shorts and a tank top. She went downstairs to rummage for some snacks when she was met with a very pissed off Jenna.

"You okay Jen? How'd your thesis presentation go?"

Jen smiled at her tiredly, "As well as could be expected, I still have revisions to make before it can be completed. It's more to do with Jeremy. Elena caught him smoking pot at school, and I have no idea what to do about him. I can understand he's grieving his own way, and his age has a part to do with it as well. High school sucks for everyone, pretty much, and I was that age not long ago either. I just hope he's not taking it too far, what if he winds up in jail or something? I don't think I'm cut out for this parenting front. Not to mention, I just got called in to the school tomorrow to discuss him."

Jenna ran a hand through her messy curls. This was kind of awkward. Alidah had no idea how to respond to that. She knew next to nothing about parenting either, and though the three teens shared the fact that they were orphaned, that did not mean she understood their stances any better. Aside from the drugs she was forced to swallow down daily there was no urge to take more and become ungraced from reality. Hell, she lost herself enough sober, and it scared the shit out of her. Why would she want to be on a freaked out rampage without a clue as to what was really going on?

So, she hugged Jenna, doing all she could do, she said, "I guess we just keep reminding him we're here if he needs us, and don't judge him. I can try to talk to him and hang out with him a little more though I predict less than great results, but still, I'll give it a go."

Jenna hugged her back tightly, "I guess I'll make those revisions now. Unless….Oh, I should cook you guys dinner. You hungry?"

Alidah put a stop on that, remember Jenna's spaghetti fiasco. "I'm good, just a snack will do me fine." So Jenna headed upstairs, and with a sigh of relief, Alidah decided on strawberries and grapes. As she began slicing up the strawberries, Elena walked in.

"Just got a text from Caroline, there's going to be a back to school party in the woods tonight."

Alidah scrunched up her nose, "If it's okay Lena, I think I've been filled to the brim with excitement today and might sit this one out. Next one I promise but I'm kind of drained after today. That okay?"

Elena smiled, "Completely, but Caroline might chew you out tomorrow about it. Kind of the only reason I'm going, had a bit too much excitement myself today."

Alidah grinned, "You mean it's not that there's a chance a hot new transfer by the name of Salvatore could be there?"

Elena smiled back, "That's a bonus." The smile faltered, "You're not into him are you? You know I'll back off if you are Ali."

Alidah gave the brunette an exasperated look, "I know you guys think I'm weird, I think I am too, but I just don't fall for guys like that. It's like I don't care or something most of the time. I mean, yeah, I've had my heart skip a beat a few times over someone but it's never led to anything. I can't really say why, Stefan's nice, smart, funny, not to mention pretty damn handsome but I just want us to be good friends. But if you're thinking like do I see us sailing off together on a boat with me swooning in his arms, no way."

Elena giggled, "You hate the water, so why a freaking boat?"

Alidah laughed with her, "I just had a pirate vibe right then. But I'm heading up to munch and study, then probably conk out."

"Alright, but remember…"

"Caroline," They called in unison.

After studying for a while and reading messages from her friends online, Alidah called it a night. She settled down in the sheets until she heard a rasping from the window. Slowly inching back the curtains, she laughed incredulously as she saw another crow. "Unbelievable."

Gathering the remaining strawberries she hadn't eaten she opened the window, and she left them there for him. "You just won't give up will you Krowken?" Laying back down, she had left the curtain slightly opened a crack as the two stared at one another. "I guess death becomes me." Not long after she fell into a rare peaceful slumber, the bird watching over her until the early morning hours of dawn.


	3. Lions and Lambs

"Sing for the lion and lamb.  
Their hearts are hunting;  
Still hunts hope ever and ever."

-Cold

{November 1999 – Barentsburg, Svalbard}

The little girl had been lonely for a while. Of course, she had her parents. And she loved them both dearly. But lately it was like an ominous presence shadowed over their home. Her parents more sad and morose with each day that passed; though they tried to hide it when she was around. She knew. And she did not like the false impression they put up; all she wanted was to help. Honestly, the little girl believed her parents to be lonely as well. It was getting awfully hard to stay away from the outside world. She was told it was necessary to be as far away as possible so no one knew where they were. That it was to keep them safe. So she stayed silent.

The girl tried other tactics to quell the monotony of living out in the mountains. She had found many animals in the woods that lived around their cabin. Each one would sniff around her, yards away, and slowly creep until it was close enough to know she wasn't a threat. Her father had shown her how. The first time it happened she was as scared as the animals, but her father assured her they were only curious. But they were also very shy, and she should stand as still as a statue until the moment when the animal was comfortable with her. Then she could reach out and send her comfort to him. It was a gift her and her father shared.

The snacks in her bag helped too. She had first won over a rabbit, then a doe, then finally a wolf. It always turned to the same result: she would bring the animal home in the hope it would learn where to come visit her, and when her mom got into a certain proximity the animal would go berserk. It lashed out and did everything to get away including the whole: kick, scratch, and bite action. The girl's father whose gift was stronger than hers would have to get a hold of the animal and calm it enough to guide it back to their home.

Except the birds; the birds actually really liked her mom. They would perch and chirp about as her mother tended the gardens. They eventually left though. The little girl admitted she would feel bad if she put them in a cage so she rather allowed them to go. Her mother, one cool autumn day, wrapped her up in her arms; kissing her baby soft hair, "It is because you are one of them. A little bird; a little sparrow. The sparrows always leave when the weather chills, but they will always return home. One day you will leave me, as well, but I know you will always come back to me." She smiled up to her mother, as they watched the birds flock together to fly to a new journey.

That was a while back, and there were pretty much no birds around now. A lot of the animals had went to hibernate. So the girl proceeded to hike through the woods hoping to gain some kind of insight on how to make things better. The woods always held a different type of quiet; it helped to center her. The only sounds were of her feet crunching through leaves and snow slush as she trudged on before she made it to a clump of rocks she had dubbed, "the castle." It was a bluff that overlooked a small portion of the vast forest, her kingdom. The area was out in the open enough to see the sky overhead: the clouds and stars, her subjects.

The girl liked to lay on the flattest rock, arms spread, and go through the blue. It was peaceful, eternal. Today she detected something was different. She felt it, something was nearby, and it was wounded. She left the safety of her "castle" and investigated the ridges on the ledge. One of the larger stones forming a mouth. Squatting, she turned on her mini flashlight and shined it over her head like her daddy showed her.

She almost screamed. Almost. Among the piles of dead leaves and pine needles was a hand. One that wasn't much bigger than her own. Without a second thought, the little girl ventured deeper and found the hand attached to a very battered young boy. She could sense his heartbeat and was glad he was alive. He was very hurt, but she knew he would live. She reached out and lightly touched his cheek. Hoping she sent some of her warmth and comfort to him like she could with the animals. From the light sigh that escaped him she liked to think it had worked. She did not know who the boy was, where he was from, or how he had gotten here. There would be time for that later. But deep in her bones she knew for certain from that touch that he was meant to be with her. To be part of her family.


	4. Just a Sip

"Baby, can't you see, I'm calling.  
A guy like you should wear a warning.  
It's dangerous, I'm falling."

-Toxic

After the first few weeks, things had fallen into a rhythm. Walking to school when she could - only twice requiring oxygen so far; long talks with Stefan during the library hour; sitting in the cemetery with Elena after school, and going home to hang out with Jeremy. Cosmically, a week ago she had found a flyer to a gym with free defense training, so she took him there in the hopes the exertion would rid him of some of his anger. After the first session, it thrilled her to see that he enjoyed it. On days they weren't beating on a bag, they would play video games, or sketch for a little bit.

He was still a very angry person though. Ali could also tell that there was something going on with him and Matt's sister, Vicki. After he nearly got into a fight with Tyler Lockwood about it, Jeremy had taken to turning himself inward again. Elena jumping on him didn't help the matter either, and it especially didn't help that the party Ali skipped Vicki Donavan had gotten mauled by some animal. So was said. She thought back on the conversation she had shared with Elena about it not too long ago.

"Why would an animal just take a bite of her neck then leave?" Ali asked incredulously.

"Okay, Watson, what's your take on it?"

"Since I wasn't there and I'm not psychic like Bonnie, I'd just go on the feeling that some frat perv got her wasted and took a good bite out of her. Being wasted himself he hadn't known he had bit that hard until he saw the blood. He spazzed, then ditched her in the woods."

Elena only shrugged, clearly not giving in to the idea.

The result of the latest attack had led to a curfew being introduced to anyone under eighteen. Because everyone knew animals would follow curfews. Some good had come from that night though. Elena and Stefan had grown a little closer and become kind of, sort of, a couple. Except Stefan hadn't been in school the last few days. Leaving Alidah lonely during their library hour and both girls a little worried. So Elena had boldly decided that the two of them should check on him after school. Someone had to take him his homework after all.

Pulling into the drive, Alidah looked at the house in awe. "Are you sure he lives here?"

"It's the only Salvatore address that was listed."

Elena rang the doorbell as they approached the stoop. No one answered. Alidah took the clonky door knocker and after one knock the door opened slightly; she eyed Elena. The brunette shrugged and slipped through the door.

"Elena!" Alidah whispered loudly, "This is, I am pretty sure, a crime. I don't think either of us would do well in jail."

Elena waved her away dismissively, as they went further into the house. Noting Stefan's bag in a chair Alidah called out, "Stefano!"

Elena spun on her with amused delight on her face, "Stefano? Really? What is it with you and the nicknames?"

"Come on, he needs to be more Italian."

They laughed, but then the door squeaked.

"Stefan?" Then low and behold in flew a damn crow! "Is this town haunted by Alfred Hitchcock?" Alidah exclaimed.

Turning to see where the bird went she collided with something warm and solid, yanking back she was met by a man wearing a smirk as he studied her. She was in a pull, and probably wouldn't have stopped staring if Elena hadn't spoken up.

"We're sorry, the door was...opened?"

Turning around, Alidah noted the door had been closed shut. "It was unlocked," she replied to the man.

His smiled widened. "You must be Elena, and you, my dear, have to be the most gorgeous creature I've laid eyes on in a very long time."

Alidah stepped back, as her heart barreled into her stomach. This was new, guys didn't flat out flirt with her. Sure, people have complimented her before; and she was satisfied with how she looked. Growing up people would sweetly comment her on her long near-white hair. She remembered how her mother would forbid her from cutting her hair, saying it was so beautiful they could weave it and use it as gold. When the person complimenting her hair was close enough and got to look at her mismatched eyes, and, they, off kilter for a second, would gush over them. But, somehow, this was different. This was a man: a very attractive man. A man with a striking pair of eyes of his own. Damn those eyes, what was it about them making her tremble? The longer she looked, it seemed she had been looking at them for hundreds of years.

"And you're Stefan's brother?"

His faltered on that a fraction, "That's right, I'm Damon, the older, more sophisticated brother."

Alidah laughed aloud, causing Damon's grin to return to the fullest.

"You have to forgive me, Damon, but when I hear 'sophisticated' I think of a stuffy, serious person, and looking at you, you may enjoy the finer things in life, but I cannot believe for a second that you live life too seriously."

He laughed at that, "And you seem to have impeccable hunches. I am going to presume you ladies are here to see my brother."

Elena stepped forward, "Yes, he hasn't been in school for the last few days, and we just thought we should check on him."

Damon nodded; then placed his arm around Alidah's slight frame motioning her further into the house. She looked behind her to Elena, shrugging one shoulder. What could it hurt? She was enjoying this. But the warmth of his arm was actually making her light headed. This hadn't happened in her 17 years, and though overwhelming, she genuinely liked the feeling. Maybe a little too much.

"My brother should be along shortly." Removing his arm, he bent he head to hers and inhaled sharply. "Rosemary?"

Alidah blinked, "Pardon?"

That smile returned, "Your scent. Rosemary, isn't it?"

Alidah reached for her neck, "Yes actually. That and lemongrass, I always enjoy the combination."

Damon nodded, "It certainly becomes you. On such a beautiful woman it is downright intoxicating."

And so the blushing continued. She wanted to say something back, anything to keep him engaged but she had been stunned. Elena spoke back up, "So where is Stefan?"

Honestly, Alidah had forgotten Elena was even here, making her take a step backwards from the man, and embarrassingly chewing on her thumb.

"He's lurking about somewhere. I can see how he has become so smitten with you, but I must confess I tend to lean more to the blonde persuasion." Alidah hiccupped, her senses blowing through the roof. "I'm glad he's finally gotten over the other one."

"The other one?" Both girls said curiously.

"Katherine? Oh, you two haven't had the exes talk yet."

Elena shrugged defensively, clearly peeved, "Nope, no we haven't."

Stefan had confessed to her that he did not get along well with his brother and she could now see the mutual dislike on both sides.

"I guess he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound; we all know how those relationships turn out after all." The bitterness in his tone was hard to miss.

Alidah scoffed, "Here, I thought I had such a dejected view on teen romance. I believe you, sir, are a fatalist."

Damon grinned, not to lose the upper hand he traced her cheek with his index finger, "Now don't get the wrong impression, my dear, I'm not only meaning the acts of cheating or losing interest. Sometimes other forces come in and it's just inevitable, going completely out of your hands. So let's place it to example: if I were to have you I'd have to tuck you away from all harm in a gilded cage so nothing could ever take you away, eh, little bird? Hello, Stefan."

The two girls turned to see Stefan in the doorway, neither one hearing him approach. "What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to check on you, Stefan." Elena was wringing her hands as she spoke.

"We also thought you'd like your classwork."

"Thank you both, but I'm still not feeling well so if you'll excuse us."

"Yeah, we're sorry if we barged in on you."

"It is no trouble at all, ladies, you are both welcome here anytime, right Stefan?"

Stefan didn't reply, but his gaze didn't waver from Damon's face. She could almost feel Elena's heart aching as Alidah grasped her hand and went to the car "First pissing contest I've seen in a while."

Elena remained silent, both hands on the steering wheel as they rode home. Alidah patted her leg, "It had nothing to do with you, it's pretty clear they have issues with each other. It's better to just stay out of the way with it."

Elena sighed, taking Alidah's hand that was on her thigh, "You're right, I could feel the tension from them, too. I just don't know; I want to fix it, but know it's not my business. Damon seemed pretty into you though." Elena took a side look at Ali, a smile forming on the corner of her lips as Ali blushed at the thought.

"Now, that's something I don't know. But, I'll admit, I liked it Lena. Is that how you feel around guys all the time? Is it wrong I enjoyed it?" Their hands squeezed.

"Of course not Ali, it's normal, and I'm happy you felt it. He is handsome and you're beautiful, I'm glad you felt a spark, but..."

"But?"

"Can I tell you the truth?"

"You know I'd be mad if you didn't, Lena."

"Be careful, there's just something about him. I don't like it."

"What do you mean? That he'd probably take advantage of my naïve, virginal status?" She didn't say it sarcastically, but it hurt Alidah in a way; though, she genuinely wondered what the answer Elena had for it.

She was also mortified about it; she had no doubt that if Damon actually did want to sink his claws in her, he could eat her like an ice cream cone and throw away the wrapper after he finished. The ever fatalist, she knew that's what most guys did. That was something she would never be in for.

"No, I don't think that's it, just something off. Just watch out please."

"How about what we do best? Look out for each other and back away when things get salty from guy drama. And ice cream; that's a total must."

Elena laughed, "It's a deal."

"Since we just witnessed one I say we get some now."

Elena honked the horn in agreement. Perfect, her ice cream analogies were making her hungry.

Mystic Falls was a place that never changed much. It was a small town but there was always a constant buzz to it. There would always be something happening; whether it be a school event or a fundraiser going on. On the current agenda was the comet; since the comet had not been seen in over a century the town decided to dedicate the day to it; though the spectacle hadn't been enough to get them out of school. Everyone appeared to take part in the celebration, Alidah decided to volunteer too, and had gotten flyer duty.

So after handing out flyers for the comet festivities, Alidah decided to go to The Grill. Walking in she relished in the air conditioning, taking note on how hot it still freakin' was even though it was almost the end of September. She smiled, spotting Matt and Tyler bromancing in the corner near the bar. Walking over she picked up on fragments on their conversation.

"There's something off about the guy."

"He's a freak, is what it is."

At the sight of her they dropped their topic and smiled.

"Hi boys, what are you up to?"

"Besides all the excitement about the game coming up, my parents are losing their damn minds over the Founder's Party this Sunday. You're coming right Al? I need at least a few friends there that can make me look good, and I already had to bribe Donovan here to come.

She smiled and leaned against a table, "Of course, Caroline already threw me an outfit together; I swear I feel like her personal Barbie doll sometimes. But it will also give me the chance to see you two gushied up."

Matt smiled, "I can see Caroline doing that." Looking at his watch his eyes widened, "Shit dude, we gotta get to practice or Tanner will kill us. We're already down a guy since Richardson tore up his knee." They both gave her a quick nod and smile in farewell before heading out the door.

She got seated and decided to get some lemonade and fries. She watched through the window as banners were hung and decorations were placed on the street corners. She didn't notice the approaching figure, until she heard a familiar voice say, "Now what's a beautiful thing like you doing in a place like this?"

She smirked as she turned to see Damon Salvatore looking at her in rapt attention. "I didn't take you for one to use clichéd quotes, Mr. Salvatore."

He gave her a smirk right back, "I am amazingly original. But how am I supposed to think of anything when I'm in such magnificent presence?"

She looked away, chewing on her lip. Jesus, what was it about this guy that put her off like this?

'Because he's flirting with you and since it's your first time dosing it back you have no idea how to go about it.' Thanks, Elena voice.

"I'm not feeling very original right now, either; I have no idea what to say to that."

The smile he gave her this time was kind, as he snuck a fry. "I am very curious about something."

"Okay?"

"You left in such a hurry yesterday that I never got your name. Now, I have no problem calling you Rosemary or, better yet, Little Bird but I thought I would try for the real thing."

She took a sip of her drink, "Rosemary is a lovely name but you're much closer with your 'little bird' comment. It's Alidah; my parents went through a Latin fetish and saw it meant 'a small, winged being,' and agreed to that. Even my brother calls me Birdie from time to time."

"How fitting. You are very much a bird, Alidah."

"Um, thanks, I guess."

"Fragile, timid, and yet, fierce and majestic."

Heat began climbing up her neck; she was going to have to find a way to get a handle on this blushing thing. The whole matter altogether in fact. 'No Rest for the Wicked,' began to play from her bag, Bonnie's ringtone. "I'm sorry; that's my friend."

Damon nodded, his eyes still roaming her face. Checking the text, she needed to meet up with them to get ready for the night. "I'm sorry this has been short; this was just getting fun, but my friends are kind of waiting on me.

Damon stood as she did, a gentlemen's gesture. "I enjoyed it as well, we're going to have to find a way to remedy these interruptions. Until next time my little Alidah." He brushed his lips against the part of her cheek closest to her lips. Her knees buckled - not because of the kiss though it was wonderful - but what came from it. Everything around her seemed to fall away and images flashed around her. Him. Her. Them. Different, yet the same. It was too much for her and the world had blackened.

When she awoke, she was in her bed, a damp washcloth on her forehead. She set herself up, still woozy and noted it was dark outside. No way; she already missed one party and now this? She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost time for the comet to arrive. There was no way to get to town in time before it started. She grabbed herself a drink and decided to watch it from the porch...Alone, great. The rest of the house was empty and dark, everyone going in their own direction tonight. Alidah lazed in the porch swing, and lit herself a lantern to increase the ambiance. She briefly wondered if these events had always brought some kind of excitement to the people. For it to be a once in a lifetime moment, something you'd never get to see again. It was a frightening thought, yet exciting.

She heard someone approaching, "Who's there?"

Out from the curb stepped Jeremy and Vicki tripping over one another as they continued to make out. Ugh. They didn't see her at first, but as Jeremy fumbled for his keys they finally made eye contact. Alidah with a raised eyebrow at the young boy's antics.

"Ali!" Jeremy exclaimed happily. Clearly he was intoxicated. "Jenna texted me earlier that you passed out in town and a random man carried you home. Are you okay, do you need an ambulance?" His slurring was almost comical, Alidah much preferred Jeremy drunk than high.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing, "No, no I think I'm good. Thanks though. Should I call one for you?"

Jeremy laughed as he pressed Vicki closer, "Nah, I just need my bed, everything will be better after that."

Stumbling their way up the stairs, she heard a door slam. It was bound to be a very long and disturbing night.

"What are you talking about Bon-Bon?"

"I just got this feeling when I gave him Elena's number the other day. I don't know. Look Ali, if I tell you something will you promise not to laugh? I kind of tried telling Elena and she batted it off as a joke. I just want someone to take me serious on this instead of thinking I'm crazy."

Alidah hadn't seen Bonnie like this before. It made her feel a little bad. Until recently even Bonnie thought everything her grandmother said about her "lineage" was a joke as well. Now, she was beginning to have second thoughts on what her grandmother had to say.

"Of course I won't laugh Bonnie. Tell me."

Bonnie let out a deep breath. As if she was holding it until she had her answer. "Okay. It's about Stefan. I know you and Elena have gotten close to him. But like I said about the other say when I touched him I got this feeling. It got so cold and dark. It was what I think death would feel like. God, maybe I am crazy."

Alidah thought back on her first encounter with Stefan. The feeling she had felt. "I don't think you're crazy Bonnie, but maybe we should talk to your grandmother about it. She may know something. It seems a lot to take in is all. Whereas to Stefan, I don't know either. I do feel he is different somehow, but death? Do you mean like he experienced death personally or just a lot of it occurred around him?"

"The first one, like he had died. That darkness consumed him."

Remembering the nightmare from the start of the semester she shivered at the analogy. "So maybe he was in some kind of accident and was brought back from the brink or something. That cold be why he becomes so aloof sometimes. It'd be something hard to get over, make him push people away. It'd explain a few things."

Bonnie pondered the thought for a few moments, "No, there was no regained light within him. It's like he's stuck in death."

Alidah put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, "Want to talk to your grandmother after school?"

Bonnie slipped from her grasp on that, "Um, no thanks on the idea, my Grams would have me studying ancestors or having a seance with her."

"Well, maybe we could like have dinner together and see if you could get to know him better. We'll even make Elena cook it'll be hilarious."

Bonnie laughed, still uncertain.

"Come on, it'll be fine Bon. We'll run it by Elena."

After school Alidah decided to support Elena and Bonnie at their cheerleading try outs. She had to break down and wear the tank today, so it gave her a reasonable excuse to not apply to the task. Cheerleading had been fun for her as a child, but as she grew older her coordination seemed to diminish with each passing year; and though she loved to dance, she did it in private. Unwilling to ever let anyone she her nonrhythmic moves.

Plus Caroline was the cheerleading captain, and, at times, it was a good thing; her being type a would make it to hard to please her. Catching sight of the two girls she made a hustle toward them, "Have you not started yet?"

"No, Caroline hasn't even gotten here. I was hoping to see Stefan's tryouts today afterwards but at this rate that's not going to happen," Elena said looking a bit put out.

"Stefano's trying out? No way, he doesn't seem like the sportsman type. I'm so going to watch."

Elena pushed her playfully, "No fair, he's actually pretty good. Tyler Lockwood tried to bop him in the head with a football this morning and Stefan caught it from like 50 feet away. It was incredible."

Alidah wasn't really a fan of sports, but to see broody Stefano playing out there would be worth it. It was then everyone started whispering as a blue Camaro pulled to a halt near the girls. From one glance she felt ill. There was a couple in the car. The couple being Caroline...and Damon. Exiting she turned and gave him a lingering kiss before heading towards them.

"Looks like I got the other brother," she whispered conceitedly sweet to Elena.

Chancing a look Alidah saw Damon look at her with a pained expression. Oh yeah, he's never seen the tank before. It was for the best. Getting to see each other's true selves before anything happened: She the sarcastic sick girl; he a cocky jerk. The world was set back into place, as she turned her back on him. Letting out a breath she had been holding when she heard him drive away.

Alidah had run the idea about the dinner with Elena during lunch - it tickled her to see how excited Elena had gotten. The brunette had loved the idea, having taken note on how Bonnie had withdrawn since Stefan became part of the group. There was no way Elena would cook though; she was barely a step above Jenna in that department. Elena was about to call in some food when Alidah volunteered. It had been her idea so it seemed fair enough. Alidah settled that a stir-fry and apple crumble would be safe enough.

"Stefan's not a vegetarian is he?" Alidah asked, realizing she had no clue what Stefan's preference was when it came to food.

"Oh, I don't think so," Elena eyes glazed as she drifted to somewhere else, "I never thought to ask and he doesn't really eat much anyways."

Alidah shrugged, he could pick the shrimp out if he didn't like it. There would be time to ask tonight, and if he didn't like it they could skip to dessert. Elena had started setting the table when Bonnie shown, she came in looking almost petrified.

"I need to talk to you about something," she whispered in Alidah's ear.

Alidah turned giving a bemused expression, "What is it Bon?"

Bonnie looked behind her shoulder toward the dining room where Elena emerged. "What is what guys?"

Bonnie didn't turn to Elena as she said, "About me being psychic. I've been seeing a set of numbers all day so I'm trying to figure out what it means."

Elena let out a slight laugh, "Maybe it means we should play the lottery."

Bonnie held Alidah's gaze letting her say with her eyes what she couldn't out loud. It has something to do with her powers. It was a little sad, although, understandable that Elena didn't believe in Bonnie's abilities. Alidah had never put too much thought into the paranormal. Regular society was scary enough. But if there was even an inkling of another part of the world she would like to know about it. With a friend who was part of that world, she wanted to help her any way she could.

Alidah put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, as they heard the doorbell ring. Elena rushed to the door, giving the girls a small window of privacy. "What do you think the numbers mean Bonnie?"

Bonnie shook her head, aggravated, "I don't know. I thought it could be some kind of lock combination, but some part of me knows it isn't. That's not what has me freaked out though."

Bonnie went over to the junk drawer, and pulled out a box of birthday candles. "Knew it," she muttered to herself. She looked toward the living room. "Okay, we got to be quick. Hold these."

She gave Alidah a candle to hold in each hand. She pulled in a breath and waited. She could almost hear Bonnie's heart thud as her own breath quickened, becoming more labored with each one. Within a few seconds one then the other candle was set off into tiny flames.

"You guys are still in here? Stefan and I joked that you may have bailed."

Alidah smiled, "After I cooked? No way would I let you take the credit with Stefano. Unless it's bad then it was totally you. We just thought the candles would make it more festive."

Stefan laughed, enjoying his new nickname, "Aren't those a bit small for the table?"

Bonnie gave a small shrug, "See Ali, told you." Alidah smiled at her, and Bonnie gave her one of her own as a silent thanks.

The dinner was going rather well. Stefan was like every other guy when it came to food. Anything would suffice, but he usually didn't care for the cleaning up afterwards. He was excited but nervous about getting to play on the team, and he still hadn't decided if he even wanted to go to college. Stefan and Bonnie started to talk about some of her ancestors that had taken part in the Salem Witch Trials when a knock on the door came. Not wanting to disrupt the flow that had finally erupted Alidah went to answer it.

She smiled, hearing the laughter emanating through the dining room. Too bad the smile faltered when she opened the door. The other side revealing Caroline and Damon. Two people she was hoping to avoid for the next good while. She had no clue what to say and was almost grateful when Caroline piped up.

"We heard you guys were doing dinner and thought we'd bring dessert." Giving her a quick hug, she wandered off to find the others. Leaving her alone...with Damon.

"Hope you don't mind us coming over."

Her face flushed. Unable to look at him she muttered, "It's not a big deal." She traced her fingers across the hallway dresser, wondering if she could scramble away from this torment. She finally realized he hadn't moved from the door that he was only leaning against the frame. Looking at her; almost expectantly.

Slowly she looked up into his face, seeing it soften instantly. "I feel like I should be apologizing to you little bird."

Alidah shook her head, kind of wishing he'd shut up. Wasn't it breaking some kind of rule to have a nickname for a girl when dating another one? It seemed possible. "There's nothing to apologize for Damon." He gave her a joyless smile.

"What are you two doing?"

Finally someone to the rescue. Elena and Caroline walked in. Caroline clearly annoyed, "Get in here." Alidah turned to her, both of their personalities appeared to be kind of dominating and she wondered who won most of the fights.

"I'm just waiting to be invited in, dear. You know how much being a gentleman means to me."

Elena caught Alidah's eye, and she tried to use their faux sister power to get her to tell them it was getting a little late. Gah, this was silly, hell it was downright petty. But she didn't want him in this place that she was calling home. Somehow he had wheedled in her and came out making her feel raw and vulnerable. She didn't want him to taint it in here as well.

Deep down she knew she had no right to feel that way. That how he acted towards her was just his way of being friendly. But in those few moments he had made her feel special. Now, now she felt worse than a snotted-up tissue. Apparently their brainwaves weren't on the same link that evening, and Elena was about to let him in.

Until Stefan stepped in, near to bumbling, and she sent him a grateful glance his way. "It's getting pretty late and he can't stay. Can you Damon?"

The look the older sent was almost a primal challenge. "No it's fine, come on in Damon."

Damon's smile was triumphant as he walked through the threshold. "You two have a very lovely home."

Alidah was already walking out of the room, "Who's up for something sweet?" She quickly went into the kitchen; giving each plate a slice of cake, crisp and scoop of ice cream in the middle. After pouring coffee she doled it all out. Wanting nothing more than the evening to end as quickly as possible now. "Saw you at cheerleading try-outs." Damon was looking at her.

"Oh, Ali wasn't trying out or anything. She gets sick too much and has to carry her oxygen pretty much everywhere. There was no way she could be on the team."

Alidah bit her tongue to stifle a laugh; even now Caroline had no filter for her mouth. She was used to ignoring half of whatever she said and tries not take it seriously.

"Alidah doesn't really seem the cheerleading type anyways."

She glanced at Damon, "I thought being blonde automatically warranted a spot." He grinned at her.

"Ali would be good at it Care, she can dance," Bonnie chimed jokingly.

Alidah looked at Bonnie in disbelief, "I'm pretty sure she knows I can't Bon. But thanks for broadcasting so everyone else knows too."

"Oh, come on Ali, you can learn. That way all of us can be on the team together." Ali shook her head at Bonnie stubbornly.

"So you don't dance?" Damon asked, curiously.

"Can't. I was born without grace. I can't move to a beat at the right time even if it could save me."

"I'm sure I could teach you."

Alidah laughed nervously, "Thanks but no. I'm saving you some broken toes."

Damon chuckled, "I'm sure we could find a way to keep that from happening."

Caroline decided to put the topic back on course, "No, it's better if she's not on the team. I mean it's going to be hard enough figuring out what to do with Elena."

"I'll work with her Care," Bonnie volunteered.

"It used to be so much more fun around here before her parents died." Quiet. "I say that with complete sensitivity."

It was seldom Alidah paid much mind to what Caroline said. She knew that for some reason the other blonde was insecure about herself. But to verbally insult Elena about her dead parents struck a deep nerve. It made something in Alidah's mind pull back, like something waking from a deep sleep. As it did Caroline's mug slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor. The remaining contents spilling on her feet. Caroline shrieked and stood, "My new shoes!"

Alidah's heart , that had to be Bonnie, or just an accident. There was no way she could've done, not even possible. But somehow she felt responsible she HAD wanted Caroline to shut up a few seconds before. Feeling dejected she stood up, "I'll go get something to clean it up."

As she made her way to the kitchen she heard Caroline call out, "Please hurry, Ali!"

Making her feel just that much worse. With the mess cleaned up and Caroline satisfied her shoes weren't completely ruined Alidah retreated back into the kitchen. She had almost finished filling the dishwasher when she heard footsteps. She smiled, "You're a bit too late to help Lena."

"Nope, you missed one."

Luckily this time she held to the smile when she realized it was Damon. He held out the glass only to nearly drop it. "Fast reflexes Salvatore."

"I like you."

Heart failure. "I like you too Damon. I'm glad we're getting to be friends." There now the message was loud and clear.

"You make me smile little bird. My brother as well, I'm always reading in his journal about what you two talked about that day, books you two exchange together. How you make him feel alive. It's a nice change of pace to what happened last time."

Alidah braced herself against the sink, "Um, for the time being let's just let it go of the fact you're going through you brother's private thoughts; you're meaning the ex again aren't you?"

"Yep."

"So what happened to her?"

"She died, in a fire." The deadpanned way he said it almost made it feel like it was no big deal to him.

"So...Which one of you dated her first?"

Damon smirked, "Nicely deduced. But, in my case anyways, date would be the wrong word for my relationship with Katherine."

What the hell does that mean? "What was it to you then?"

"She was a powerful and influential person. She had what I needed to help someone I cared about."

There was a lingering sorrow in his eyes as he spoke. Biting her lip she reached out and lightly hugged him. He stiffened but quickly returned her embrace. When they finally pulled away they stayed close to one another, and Alidah whispered, "Who was it for? The person you cared about?"

Damon smiled sadly, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"You guys need any help?"

Perfect timing Bonnie...


	5. Whispers at the Door

"Fallen angels at my feet; whispered voices at my ear.  
Death before my eyes; lying next to me, I fear."

Whisper

{Mystic Falls, Virginia - 1997}

She kept the covers wrapped around her tiny frame, making her way to the window. She couldn't tell what they were saying but she could hear them. She was frightened, at the same time she wanted to help them. The misery she heard in the voices was too much. It gave her trembles, forcing back her tears.

"What do you want? What can I do?" Her pleas coming out as nothing more than mere whimpers.

She had recently begun to hear the whispers in the daytime as well; luckily it was easier to shut them out when there was light. The bustling of other people and trying to keep up with her daily routine kept her mind from wandering to anything else. Now she wondered if she concentrated hard enough she would make out what they were saying. She crawled onto the window seat and pressed her ear flat against the glass; in the hope a response would come to her. But all it gave, in turn, was the added sound of the crickets chirping lazily outside.

"Darling, what are you doing?"

The girl jumped at the voice, when she realized it was only her mother her muscles eased. "Can't you hear them mommy?"

The woman smiled sadly at her little girl, shaking her head. "I used to, a very long time ago. But they have been silent to me for ages my little bird. Your father does hear them every once in a while. Keeps him up at night, he says."

The girl's eyes widened, "If daddy still hear them, does he know what they're saying? What they want?"

"Like all people, they want different things. Some retribution, some to bargain, but I believe they all just wish to rest."

"Can we help them mommy?"

"My best way to help is to remain uninvolved. Maybe someday you can, my darling, for now it is best if you do as your father and learn to push them away. It is time for sleep after all."

"How am I to do so, if they wake me up all the time?"

"We will find a way that suits you best, beginning tomorrow, tonight how about…"

The woman put on some music, allowing the classical melody fill the space of the room. She picked up her daughter and tucked her in; singing, in her native tongue, her own story to the harmony. With a flick of her wrist the bird and butterfly mobiles hanging from the ceiling spun in time to the beat. Bending down she kissed her little girl's forehead, then cheeks and chin, finally placing a peck on her nose that made the girl giggle in childish delight.

"Sleep well my little birdie."


	6. Fear of the Night

"And when the daylight comes I'll have to go.  
But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close.  
'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own.  
But tonight I need to hold you so close."

\- Daylight

Alidah jerked awake, feeling tears drying across her cheek. She did not know if that was a good dream or not. Glancing to see that it was still dark out she wondered if she should try going back to bed. When, out of the shadows, an arm made its way around her waist. She stiffened instantly.

"Another bad dream, babe?" the voice whispered huskily in her ear.

She started to move away but the arms pulled her in closer, allowing her to take notice that the man holding her was near to nude. He nuzzled her neck before giving it a tender kiss, "You know I would never let anything hurt you right?"

"I…I don't understand."

This time when she moved away he let her as she turned on her bedside lamp. Nothing.

"Sweetheart, it's been storming for a while, the power went out a few hours ago. The only entertainment we have right now is each other. I must say it can be one hell of a show."

She had to still be dreaming there was no way this was in her reality. But why did she dream this up? Alidah never dreamed of guys. The man finally reached back out for her, cradling her frame against his as he ghosted his fingertips about her body. He kissed from her collarbone on up to her lips, suckling the bottom one as his hand made its way under her night shirt. At this she began to twist away.

His voiced shushed her in a calming manner, "It's okay love, I know you want to wait, but you did say we could still have a little fun. I promise not to do anything you won't like."

His hand reached further until it cupped her flesh, his thumb circling her nipple into a hardened peak. After a few nips on her neck he trailed downward until he raised the shirt over her chest, taking a nipple between his teeth; his hand expertly handling the other one. Alidah begun to turn into a puddle of goo, at the point to mewling her reservations had vacated her. Maybe this wasn't too bad; it was just a dream after all.

After his apt ministrations he trailed his kisses downward only to stop at the waistband of her shorts. Okay, the reservations are back. His hand came to remove them as she slipped away from his grasp. Dream or not that's a little too far tonight. And is that really the fucking Ave Maria playing right now?

The man chuckled, "Always so skittish, well, unless you make the first move. Maybe I should learn to be more - hard to get. Come here love."

She was not skittish, she was cautious. She did allow him to hold her though, he began to trace her features feeling like he had done it thousands of times before. She reciprocated feeling the outline of his smile. Feeling brazen she brought her lips up to his, the smile never fading. One hand cupped the back of her head, the other sneaked down into the expanse of her shorts.

As she felt his hand she bit down, hard, on her own lip. She gasped as a trickle started flowing and she moved a bit away. Damn it why did he even have to do that? At that the man jumped back as the lights flickered to life. Looking up she nearly collapsed, "Damon?" Seriously? Alidah squinted her eyes at him and out of some recess of her subconscious said, "And you're hungry."

Damon placed a hand to his face feel the raised webs forming along his face. He smirked humorlessly, "Maybe it's time you fed me then."

Alidah continued to look at the red in his eyes before uttering, "I guess I should. Will it hurt?"

He looked at her, surprised at the offering. Damon sighed willing the webs to go away. "I do not know why you fear so little, but I guess we'll just have to deal with it later. Now get into bed and let's go to sleep."

Alidah giggled, unfazed, knowing this was her dream, her realm. "Sleep?"

Damon's eyes reached hers, good humor returning to them. "Yes little bird, sleep."

"Awww, does that mean you're done groping me then?"

"Not in the slightest; though I'd much rather have the real thing. Now sleep Alidah."

She found herself tucked in the crook of his arm, as he turned the lights off. His smell, his presence just felt right. She felt whole, safe. Even if it was not real, it was enough to ease her to sleep.

She felt something pressing down on her; a soft murmuring above. Her brain was slowly focusing, and knew someone was shaking her awake. Alidah opened her eyes to Elena staring down at her, "Wow, I didn't think I'd ever get you awake. This might be the first time you slept in before."

Alidah yawned and stretched her arms over her head, "I did sleep well last night. I can't really recall what I dreamed about, but I think it was good. My mom was there I think."

Elena gave her a sweet smile as she swatted the blonde's side. "I'm glad, but you got to get up. You already missed enough parties, and the game is tonight. You are definitely going."

Alidah rolled over to her clock, and saw it was 11:45 in the morning. "The game's not until 7, Lena, I say we have plenty of time."

Elena shook her head, "Nope, we got to get our outfits together, shower, hair, and glam. Then we have to meet everyone at The Grill for lunch before heading to the pep rally."

Alidah groaned, "Sounds like way too much work for a Saturday.

"It's going to be worse for you tomorrow then. Suck it up, and tell me when you get dressed so I help do your hair."

After Elena left Alidah contemplated on locking the door and lounging in bed all day; but thought better of it and got up. Elena would just chop the door down after all. Deciding that the sun might help take her grog away she opened the curtains to find her feathered friend perched outside. She opened the window, "How are you today little Krowken?" The bird tilted his head in response, not moving from his place. She knew it would probably fly away, still she reached a tentative hand to stroke the bird's back gently. She inhaled sharply in awe as it allowed her touch, nipping the back of her hand as if preening her.

She laughed, "I guess we're best buds now, Krowken."

The bird extended its wings giving a small caw at her. Deciding to give him some brunch she got some peanuts from the kitchen. He seemed to try to nudge her as she went to shut the window. "Sorry little guy I got to take a shower." Weird bird almost seemed to want to barge in at that.

The day did not seem to want to end. Alidah was having fun, not to be mistaken, but all of the excitement was starting to weigh her down. They had finally set the bonfire ablaze, the opponent mannequin turning to kindling. It was funny in a way how serious the game could be taken here. She continued staring at the flames, the crowd beginning to chant around her. Her vision started to wobble and her body sway. Feeling an almost similar sensation she had at The Grill.

It was only the yelling that kept her grounded. She tracked through the field hearing Jeremy's voice. And Tyler Lockwood's. Christ, this again? What was it about the guys in the town and their constant stand-offs? Alidah still wasn't in the correct frame of mind and couldn't really make out what they were saying. However she did know it had to do with Vicki Donavan. She inched her way closer as a punch was thrown. See saw Elena begin making her way through the crowd too. Alidah was almost there when Jeremy had picked up the broken bottle. Before she could lunge at his back he had taken a swipe and cut Stefan's hand wide open.

Deciding Elena could take care of Stefan, she chased down Jeremy at the concession stand. He eyed her, his guard still high, "What you mad now? Disappointed? Going to ask how I could fuck up like that?"

He was beyond angry; she knew a lecture was the last thing needed. So she decided to play it off. "I was just going to say that you fought kind of dirty. I mean a broken bottle Jer? You could have done better than that with some of the stuff we went over at the gym, don't you think?"

Jeremy stared at her, a little incredulously. She continued, "Look, I know we're not blood kin, but you are my family. I'm not asking you to empty everything in that head of yours to me; but instead of the other shit couldn't you come to us? Hell, come to me and we could bash up and shoot old cars or find an abandoned house and take a sledgehammer to it. Something. Just quit penting everything up until it's bubbling over. Please."

Jeremy still wasn't saying anything, his face not revealing anything except for the snarl his nose was in whenever he got annoyed. Suddenly he pushed himself up and walked past her.

That could've gone better, yet not totally unexpected.

He was completely encased in grief and he wasn't going to offload that on a near to complete stranger that shoved their way into their home as soon as his own parents died. It would be just another hurtle to add to the list, one to hopefully conquer later on. Alidah decided to head to Elena's SUV and get her jacket before the game started. She closed the cab, when she cried out feeling something brush her shoulder.

"Sorry didn't mean to scare you."

She saw Damon and her anxiety ebbed slightly, "Somehow I don't believe you Salvatore. What are you doing out here anyways?"

He came closer as if telling a secret, "I'm hiding from Caroline."

"Why? Shouldn't you be admiring her cheerleading attire or something?"

He smirked, "Clothing aside, she has been driving me crazy. I think it may be time to move onto someone more mature."

"Hate to break it to you, but isn't it like a scientific fact that younger girls' and older guys' minds usually match intellectually?"

Damon didn't seem keen on the answer and looked away a little ruffed. She giggled lightly before placing a hand on his leather clad shoulder, "I get that Caroline can be a tad bit...chirpy. But she is one of the few friends I have; so I'm going to ask nicely to be gentle with her. Though if you didn't really like her, why date her? That seems cruel to me." Alidah started to feel bad for Caroline; she didn't want her to be hurt. She didn't want her to be stringed along either.

"I told you I had a preference for blondes and the one I kept trying to get close to found reasons to dash away before I got close enough." Her eyes jerked to his as he gave a slow smile, almost in satisfaction. "The question is…Are you going to run this time too, little bird?"

Her body felt frozen as he stepped closer, a hand settling on her waist. "I don't understand, Damon."

He chuckled quietly, "I think you do. I want you, and I know you want me. I can feel it in you, the need coinciding with mine. Thoughts of one consuming the other. I would be very surprised if I wasn't a constant in your dreams."

Her eyes widened, God, he was right. He was in her dream the night before, and he...they...

"So right now I want to kiss you more badly than anything and I know you want to let me."

He came close enough she could feel his breath tickle her lips. But the fear created a push within her instead of a pull and...Wham! Damon's head crashed into the windshield of the SUV. "Oh my God! Damon! I am so sorry. I didn't mean - " Mean to what? She hadn't touched him so she couldn't have done anything. Why would she have? Oh right, Caroline. She ran back to the field quickly blocking back what just happened.

Alidah collapsed on a bench trying to slow her heart rate. She didn't know what was happening to her. She didn't need this; she didn't want whatever was happening to her. She had just started fitting in; she was finally normal at last. And the most bizarre thought of it was that she believed it somehow connected to Damon. Lately whenever he had been around the strange occurrences would happen. Should she stay away from him? It seemed to be the simplest way to solve her problem. Yet there was another part of her that didn't want to, and that part scared her. Alidah had her head tilted towards the sky when she felt the familiar buzz of her phone from her pocket as it started to play her brother's ringtone.

"Frey?"

"Hey birdie, I was getting worried about you. I had signed on and saw you weren't on there; I didn't know if you were at that game still or not."

Wow, was it really that late already? They usually didn't meet up online until at least 10 o'clock at night so that it wasn't too late or too early for wither of them. "I might have missed the game. I sort of wandered off, and stargazed for a while. You know how I lose track of time. What have you been up to? Are you still in Lindau? I want some pictures you know."

She could hear the familiar laugh of her brother, and her heart clenched. Even though she still heard it often, she missed the sound. "Only you would go to a football game and end up looking at the sky. Actually I'm in Kyoto, Japan right now. I found something for you though. On my way here I stopped by this small town in Denmark called Odense you know it's like that place from that guy who wrote the Little Mermaid. You liked that story. But they had these little shops set up there like in the olden days; but this one I went up to took one look at me and laid out these little knick-knacks. I saw one and automatically thought of you. It was surreal. You know I'm no bullshitter but I could just see it belonged to you. You should get it in a few days and maybe you'll see what I mean."

She smiled; yeah she knew what he meant. They always got those little ticks sometimes, seeing something and getting a feeling of déjà vu. "You didn't have to get me anything but thanks Frey. I'm sure I'll get your meaning and love it. Would've been better if I had gotten to go but, oh well, I suppose."

There was a long pause from the other end, and she briefly wondered if her brother had gotten cut off. "Listen birdie, I know that you feel like I just up and left you. I have been thinking about it a lot. And I'm not just doing this to find out about my birth parents; which has been nothing but dead ends so far by the way. I just have a feeling that there is more out there than aunt Brigid told us. It might have something to do with where she went as well. Because...I don't want to scare you birdie, but I've tried to reach her a few times and no one has ever answered. It's just nagging at me and I need to find some answers to all of this. And I don't want you to hate me while I do it."

So aunt Brigid hasn't answered either one of them. She had hoped it was bad reception being so far away. But she knew the bubble from the pit of her stomach had just been warranted. That she knew something was wrong too. She was close to tears. She had been blindsided by the abrupt way her brother left her. They had never really been separated from each other for more than a day at a time before this. But she knew, without a doubt in her mind, that her brother wouldn't leave her side without there being a good reason for it. And that he would be here as fast as possible if she really needed him.

"I could never be mad at you Frey. You're my family. More than that even. I know you wouldn't be doing this if there were some other way. I just hope you'll find what you are looking for soon. I really miss you. And it's not like I've been outcasted here or anything. I like to think I'm getting along here pretty decently. Things have been getting a little weird, but I can handle it. I just miss someone who understands me without really having to. You know?"

Alidah could sense her brother's relief, "I know. And I promise as soon as I get this figured out I'm coming straight to you. I've been getting things together for an emancipation order on the side since you have less than a year before you're an adult anyways. Worse comes to worse they can grant me guardianship until then. With the money left behind, hell, maybe we can stay there and find a fixer upper or something. Mom and dad probably would've liked that."

She liked that idea. The two of them had relied in each other for a long time, and to take the burden off of Jenna and everyone would be wonderful. "I'm not going to tell just yet. But I kind of have a surprise when I get there."

"Okay Mr. Mysterious I don't care too much for your kind of surprises but I'll try to not be too bias about it."

She could hear Frey's baritone chuckle, she smiled. She could also hear some kind of chatter forming in the background. "Are you at a party or something?"

"No, no just going through the streets to get to the place I'm staying out. They do like to party out here though. I like it. Listen, birdie, I got to go. Maybe we can get together and play online tomorrow night since it's gotten late anyways. I love you, and just be safe out there, okay?"

"I promise Frey, quit worrying so much, I doubt anything of interest is going to happen to me here. So since you're in the hustle and bustle you should keep the advice to yourself. Be careful, and I love you too. Call me tomorrow."

With a click Alidah laid back down on the bench, the gears inside her head whirring around. No, nothing exciting was happening to her. Just realizing she may have the ability to have feelings for the member of the opposite sex that weren't just platonic. The said someone already being in a relationship; the said someone, whenever around resulted in Alidah breaking someone or something. Yeah, other than that she was as peachy as ever. Could it be even the slightest inkling possible she had inherited something the same way Bonnie had? Or was she just freaking crazy as the mad hatter; that all this was coincidence and was all in her head.

Who were you even supposed to talk to about things like this, and doing so without being labeled a complete freak? The obvious choice was of course Bonnie; but how to bring it up… She decided to wait and lie down in the SUV until it was time to go home. It was past 10 pm and all the activities should be over with soon. As Alidah approached the parking lot she noticed the police and an ambulance as people were being taped off; the officers ushering people away from the area. She searched the sea of faces for her loved ones. Finally spotting Elena and Bonnie cowered together in the crowd. When they saw her the two girls made a dash for her.

"What the hell were you doing Ali? Bonnie and I have been scared out of our minds thinking something happened to you too."

Alidah could feel Elena trembling against her as the brunette's tears seeped through her shirt. She held onto them both tightly not fully comprehending the situation. "What happened? Why does it look like a crime scene over there?"

Bonnie choked on a sob, shaking her head furiously, "Because it is, they think another animal came and killed Mr. Tanner."

"Tanner?" Holy shit, the guy was a douche but he didn't deserve to die. After making sure Bonnie got to her car, she and Elena got into the SUV; only to be graced with the cracked back windshield. Her insides clenched, she must have given Damon a concussion with that one. The girls departed in silence while a million questions lingered on their tongues.

Deciding to quell the stillness Alidah spoke in, "Why would an animal come into the parking lot? I mean, aren't they usually skittish of public places? And wouldn't they have come in like a pack or something? I don't get why it was just Tanner when there were plenty of people just a hundred yards away."

It took Elena a moment before she sighed, "I don't know Ali, and I don't really want to know right now. All I want is to go home and crash."

Alidah nodded, realizing how overwhelmed Elena really was. She let it go, and the girls stripped off from the day. Getting ready to lay down for the night, Alidah was a tad disappointed that Krowken hadn't come to visit her. She could have used a friend tonight. She went over a few class notes to clear her head before turning the lights out. She had started to doze when she heard a light rasp at the door. "Yes?"

Peeking the sliver was Elena, "Hey, would you care if I slept in here with you tonight? I just don't feel safe by myself right now."

Alidah pulled the covers back, giving Elena room the get comfortable. The girls settled close to one another, Elena's head on Alidah's shoulder. It was then Alidah heard sniffling, "Lena?"

The brunette stared back with her teary doe eyes, "I know it's a different issue entirely; but I miss my parents so badly right now. Ali...Does it get any easier?"

Alidah thought back on the different experiences she had where at one point or another wished one of her parents had been by her side. To either comfort her or to share in her joy. Only to be greeted by the hollow pain of knowing neither ever would be. She gripped Elena close, "Not really, but creating connections and having other loved ones around does help."

Both girls murmured their good nights as sleep came to them.


	7. A Mother's Love

"I want to hide the truth.  
I want to shelter you.  
But with the beast inside…  
There's nowhere we can hide." –Demons

{June 1998 – Mystic Falls, Virginia}

"Ugh, is there anything in this world, more exhausting, than a kid's birthday party?"

Íde Eld looked to her friend, Miranda Gilbert, taking note of the small hint of sarcasm in her eyes. All the other kids and their parents were gone, leaving nothing but the look of a small hurricane behind them. The two were already tired, but it had been worth it. Now, their daughters were the same age again – something of behemoth importance in a 6-year old's world.

Elena and Alidah were playing in the living room, having a makeshift magic show of their own, after becoming entranced by the magician at the party. Yep, that had been a definite better call than the clown. At least no one cried during his act. And the man and his lovely assistant were able to hold a majority of the kids' attention. It gave the parents time to mingle and sip on something a little stronger than bug juice.

"For now, let's just be happy we don't have to do that again for another seven months."

"Here, here. Although," Miranda let the word drawl out, "it would have gone much more smoothly if my husband put off being a workaholic for one day and been here."

Íde nodded sagely, occupying herself with the ties on the trash bag. She often wondered how much Miranda knew about the "research" her doctor/husband conducted. She usually kept it mute, knowing some of what Grayson did would actually benefit her daughter in the end. Íde knew that whatever he did that would give just a fraction of something to aid her daughter greatly outweighed her friend being left in the dark.

"Hey! You weren't in the battlefield alone; you had Jenna and me for back-up."

"Yeah…You guys were lifesavers."

Íde could hear the smallness in her voice and reached over to hug her, "Hey, this isn't forever Randy; he's just starting out in his medical research. After he shows he has more potential than the competition, he'll have more flexible hours. Grayson will be around more, and I know he's just as disappointed missing Elena's party."

Miranda folded into her friend's embrace, "I know. It just gets tough sometimes. Feels like I'm a single parent right now."

"You have us; don't forget that."

"I won't."

The two smiled at each other when a crash occurred in the adjoining living room, followed by shrill giggles. From upstairs, wailing erupted, an obvious indication that little Jeremy's nap had been disturbed, and he was not happy about it.

"You take care of little man. I'll take the girls over to my house; we can tackle the mess later."

Miranda smirked, "Or we can just have our men folk to do it when they come back."

"Even better."

The women laughed, crossing to their different directions. The smile remained on Íde's face a few seconds after she went through the door, slowly dissolving as her eyes began comprehending what they were seeing. Everything from the furniture to the tiniest knick-knack in the room was hanging in mid-air. Elena and Alidah casually lay side by side on the couch as it rocked to and fro. They both laughed in glee, until the blonde caught sight of her mother. The short pause broke the concentration and everything began to wobble. Íde waved her own hand to gently move everything back into place before it could crash to the ground.

"Your mom has powers, too?"

Oh boy, this wasn't good. Íde pursed her lips, wondering how much her daughter had revealed to her surrogate sister. Making sure everything was as it should be; she gently clasped the girls in front of her. Elena stood to look in mild curiosity while Alidah had her eyes averted, knowing she was in trouble. This wasn't the first time something had happened – though it may have been the first to be bluntly displayed to someone. There had been several occasions when her daughter's power would burst: the time she saw a dog tied to newspaper dispenser on a hot day and made the leash disappear, playing a song on the piano without having to touch the keys or knowing how to play at all, not to mention the "liar liar pants on fire" incident at school. After so much, Íde and her husband, Heim, had sat their daughter down to caution her; that what she could do was not just a toy and that she had to learn how to keep it a secret.

"But why? We could help a bunch of people."

"And you will honey, but you have to learn to do it in a way that nobody sees. They might be afraid. Remember when daddy read you Frankenstein for Halloween and instead of being afraid, you felt bad for him?" The little girl nodded. "We're like him in the fact that we were made different. That, even though we just want to be normal and help people, others see only what makes us different."

Seeing his wife struggling, Heim tried to pick up, "Alidah, when people think different, it can be a good thing, and it is; but too much different means that some just don't understand it. What makes them afraid is that they just don't understand."

The lectures had not appeared to have sunk in. Though seeing through her daughter's eyes, it's hard for a child to keep a secret, and Alidah may have thought it safe to tell her best friend. But if one rumor of a child's overactive imagination got out to someone, it could be over for them. And until the day her daughter could fully take responsibility of her powers, it was hard, but she knew this had to be done.

"Girls, look at me. You are going to forget about Alidah's powers, you are going to forget everything she has done and you have witnessed. All that will be left is a brief flash blank in your mind. It will be gone on 3 – 1…2…3."

She watched as their eyes dilated and felt hers constrict at the command. She took note of her daughter as her mind momentarily denied her command before accepting it. She gave them a hug and ushered them over next door so they could play; the two girls going about and playing as if nothing had transpired. It had left a rock in Íde's stomach though. She hoped with all her being that what she had done was right.

Perhaps it didn't quite matter anyway. She already knew Alidah would one day recall her true nature; whether that day was close or not had yet to be foreseen. Both Íde and Heim knew the moment they conceived that their child's power would someday surpass their own. But Íde knew that for now, for their daughter's sake as well as their own, they could not take any unnecessary risks.


	8. Ignoring Need

"A falling star; At least I fall alone.  
I can't explain, what you can't explain.  
Your finding things that you didn't know.  
I look at you with such disdain." - It Ends Tonight

The girls woke up together, and like old times, lay side by side across the bed, with their heads dangling off the end. They forgot the rest of the world for a while, giggling at nonsensical things that were whispered in the other's ear. Eventually, Bonnie called to ask when she should drop by to pick up Ali for the Lockwood party. Elena was going with Stefan, and would probably go out somewhere else before the party started; so it was reasonable for the two girls to be each other's date.

Getting dolled up was not a strong suit for Alidah, and after many used make-up wipes later was satisfied enough with her look to put on the dress Caroline had decided for her to wear. It was a strapless, sea foam green dress that stopped just a little shy of the knee. It was a good choice seeing that the party was a casual/formal kind of had also shown some mercy and hadn't forced mile high heels on her. Walking with a dress on would be hard enough without stumbling around like a fool. After putting up her hair, she went downstairs to grab a water before Bonnie arrived.

"Wow, you look great."

Surprised by the voice, she whirled around. "Stefano! You scared me," she laughed before giving him a once over, "You clean up pretty well yourself. Elena is a lucky gal to have you on her arm."

He smiled, rocking on his heels. "And how come you don't have a date? I'm sure you had a line out the door."

She giggled shyly, embarrassed, "Not really. Besides Bonnie's my date. I think we compliment each other pretty well."

Stefan's smile widened, but suddenly teetered, "No doubt about that...How have you been doing with what happened?"

Alidah wrung her hands, "I'm sure it's going to be on everyone's mind today. It's hard with all these attacks going on, it appears to be happening more and more. Elena wants to ignore it, but why all of a sudden are a bunch of animals attacking places where numerous people are gathered? I just...don't animals usually attack when threatened in their territory?" She paused, realizing she was nervously rambling. "Sorry, Stefan. I shouldn't unload on you like that."

He sighed, "No, it is a shame this is happening. Lets just hope it will stop soon. You and Elena need to be extra careful until it does. That reminds me -" Stefan reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small box. "I know it's superstitious, but I wanted to give you this. I already gave Elena something. I know it's a little ridiculous, but it'll give me some peace of mind."

Perplexed Alidah opened the box to find a vintage bracelet of what looked to be silver and leather with little charms set in the middle. Her heart felt full, and she gave Stefan an appreciative smile. "I know this symbol, it's Yggdrasil. The Norse tree of life. Thank you, Stefan. I don't know what to say."

He helped clasp it around her wrist, leaving his hand lingering with hers a bit too long. "It belonged to an old friend. It was given to her as a child, and she gave it to me. She said that it was to bring the wearer luck and I hope it aids you as well, Alidah."

At a loss for words, she studied the charm, and she was hit with a flowery scent. "Oh, verbena. I smelt it in the locket you gave Elena. Is that what you mean by protection? The herb?"

Stefan looked a bit put off when she said that, "Yeah, verbena, our family calls it vervain. It's been a family superstition for many generations that it wards off evil."

She nodded, and hugged Stefan. "I'll try and keep the tradition going then."

He smiled and looked to be about to say something else when a horn blared out front. "That must be Bonnie. She's no gentleman, so I better go. I'll see you guys at the party. And thanks again, Stefano."

The party was barely underway, and it already looked like the whole town had shown up. Bonnie and Alidah looked at all the displays, wandering around, mingling with some of the people they knew from school. They saw Tyler and Vicki deep within the crowd; Alidah held her tongue, remembering Vicki's rendezvous with Jeremy not too long ago. As they nibbled on some of the food, the girls were met by Mrs. Lockwood.

"Hello, girls; I hope you're both having a good time."

Bonnie smiled politely, "Yes, Mrs. Lockwood, this is all very lovely. Thank you for having us."

Mrs. Lockwood beamed at the two, "Thank you for coming. I am afraid I have a teeny favor to ask. I'm trying to fend for myself and play hostess - I just don't have time to light the candles in the parlor. If you girls wouldn't mind to do so, I'd be very grateful."

Bonnie had already taken the box of matches from Mrs. Lockwood and steered Alidah toward the parlor. Their mouths almost dropped open when totaling up the candles. "Seriously? Who needs this many candles in one room? It's probably even a fire hazard."

Bonnie handed the matches to Alidah; the blonde knowing she would use her powers instead. She began striking matches: most burning out on her, three times burning her fingers, only lighting half a dozen candles. It was tedious, which led to impatience, driving the girls stir crazy. Bonnie wasn't fairing much better, her power only reaching to light two candles at a time. After a few more failed attempts, and realizing she had used over half the box of matches she groaned her frustration loudly.

"Bonnie! Can't you just light them in a line or something? Just point and shoot, or you could wave - " Alidah faltered, stopping mid-sentence. As she had gestured across the room, all the candles flickered to life. She retracted her hand, holding it close to her chest. As if it were possessed. She looked at the other girl, "That was you, right? You were only holding back before, weren't you? Your power just caught up to you is all."

She was babbling, she knew that. She always did when she was nervous or scared. If she kept talking, denying whatever this was, it wouldn't matter. Her eyes finally settled on Bonnie's again, who was staring at her in amazement. "Alidah? Could it be possible -"

Alidah shook her head, cutting Bonnie off, "No, everything that's happened is coincidence. It makes no sense. I'm barely up to average par, let alone going over it."

"What do you mean by, 'everything that's happened'? What else has happened? Ali, you can't avoid this. Maybe you come from witches as well."

"Witches, Bonnie? I know you have something special in you Bonnie; but a few weeks go you huffed at the whole witch thing and now you're diving in head first? It may be fine for you but I'd rather not be personally involved in it. And outside observer, mediator maybe, but not me, myself, one."

"It's not something you can just ignore and it'll go away, Ali. It'll build up in you until it can escape. It could be bad if it does."

Alidah laid her head against the wall, "It's too much, Bonnie. I don't know if I can deal with this. Let me have a night, at least tonight. Then, maybe I can see and look into it. I still don't think there is anything remarkable within me, but I'll try to be open to it. Try and understand it."

Barely an hour in, and Alidah was exhausted. Physically and emotionally, she couldn't comprehend this. What if it were possible; why show up now? Wouldn't there have been an earlier indication of some kind of change in her? Was that what happened to Bonnie? Something so small would occur that it would go unnoticed until it grew. Or did it just come out all at once? Coming back to earth. she realized Bonnie had left her.

Rolling her eyes she went to venture on her own, looking at the antique trinkets the town had brought in. Sometime later she heard familiar voices; spotting Elena, she walked over. "Hey, where's Stefan?"

"Caroline dragged him off to dance. So, Damon was kind enough to give me a history lesson on the original Salvatore brothers."

What? Turning, she saw him smirking at her, looking completely unfazed by her interrupting the conversation. How the hell did I not see him? "Does that mean the Salvatores were one of the founding families?"

Damon arched a brow, the smirk never leaving, as he said, "Of course. The Salvatores practically built Mystic Falls. At that time, it was called Fell's Church, and the town was not funded very well. Then the Salvatores moved to the new country, quite wealthy might I add, and started to spread out the town to more than just a few houses. There were other families that helped, of course, but I like to think my ancestors had a big hand in it."

Alidah held back a smile. "A bit conceited, but if I had ancestors like that, I suppose I would be, too." Damon smiled as the three approached the small church replica.

"So what happened to them? Before, you said the original Damon and Stefan Salvatore were murdered."

Alidah nearly gasped as she looked from Elena back to Damon. "They were, in cold blood. Right outside this church actually. Yes, they thought someone they deeply cared about was in there, and it was about to be set on fire. They were shot before they could get in."

Alidah could feel pressure building right between her eyes; she pinched the bridge of her nose to alleviate it. "Who were they after? Who was so important they laid down their lives?"

Damon looked off distantly as he leaned forward, "A woman, I guess. Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?"

Her heart rate was rising, and she could feel sweat beading across her forehead. A part of her wanted out of there, but the other refused to go. "The same woman? Was it family? And you said thought...does that mean she wasn't there?"

Damon leaned in even closer to her, "You know, I used to think so. But now I'm not so sure."

Everything was falling away again, and she couldn't hold on. She could hear people screaming and smell fire and gun smoke. Before being too far gone, she obtained function of her legs again and sprinted to the closest bathroom. Se doubled over the commode and emptied everything she put down that day. Feeling sweat running down her back, she continued to heave. She felt something cool and wet as her eyes shifted and found Elena there, holding a washcloth.

She was looking at Alidah with concern, before saying, "Your nose started bleeding, Ali."

She swiped at her nose, noticing the blood had spotted a few places on her dress. She held the tissue Elena gave her to her nose until the trickle slowed to a stop. Cleaning up as best they could, Elena laid her on the miniature sofa to rest. Alidah was still drawing in and out of consciousness. Looking up from Elena's lap her face swirled and confused her. She couldn't distinguish it. It was Elena, and yet it was other people as well. It scared her. One in particular scared her. But Elena continued to stroke her hair, and swipe the washcloth across her brow. Alidah could feel the Elena she was with was one that would never hurt her, that loved her unconditionally. The other: the other wanted to torment and destroy her.

She groaned as the bathroom door slammed, causing her mind to scatter. Looking at the sink, they were met with a disgruntled Caroline. Elena laid Ali down to go talk to her. Alidah didn't really care, her mind had almost drifted off to peace. Almost. Something was calling her. More specifically a smell. It was metallic, rusty, slightly salty, and near to sick smelling. It was a cross between an overripe plum and raw meat set out into the sun. It was pungent. Addictive, nauseating. She opened her eyes and looked to where the scent was. It was Caroline. She followed the scent to the other girl, under her cardigan.

"Care, what the hell is that?"

Caroline spun around on her as she tried to look under the material. "What are you doing, perv? It's nothing, so go lay back down."

"Seriously, Care." She yanked down the scarf and found teeth marks. For some odd reason, the mark flashed her back to the animal attacks. Mauls on the neck were left there. Like Vicki, like Tanner.

Caroline was backing away petrified. "Just stop, it's nothing."

She was trying to escape the room, but Elena had barricaded herself in front of the door. "Caroline, what happened?"

"Please, Damon would kill me."

In that little whisper, Caroline had packed a punch into Alidah. She almost had to stick her head back in the toilet from the brunt of information. Pushing past Elena, she began sprinting, her entire exterior cracking. She was trying her hardest to choke back her sobs when she caught sight of a familiar mop of raven hair.

As she approached he saw her and grinned. Until he saw the tears and running make-up. Then the grin turned to sad confusion. "Little bird, what -"

"NO! No, you can't do that! Tell me why. I thought you were a good guy. A little rough, but you were good. I liked you, I mean I was really starting to like you. Then this. Why? Why would you hurt her? It would be a total different story if it had been consensual. But she is terrified of you. I know you're abusing her. And you better just stay away from her from now on, Damon. So help me God, Damon Salvatore, if you hurt her or anyone else I'll do whatever it takes to make you pay. So just stay away."

He reached out for her, only to have her push him with as much strength as she could. She was glad they were in public, she didn't think she could have gotten away if people weren't looking. She continued to run away, even when her heel had broken in the grass. She ran until she saw the silhouettes of Bonnie and Stefan.

"Where have you been?"

Bonnie had reached out for her, but Alidah stepped away, "Me? Where the hell have you been? I could have stayed nice and ignorant if you hadn't stranded me."

"We should get her home."

She felt Stefan's arm go around her as he steered her toward the barrage of cars. Bonnie stayed behind, calling out to them, "I texted Elena, I'm going to get her and meet you by my car."

Stefan helped lay her in the backseat, covering her with his overcoat. Under different circumstances, this would melt her, his tenderness; she would have thanked him. But right now all she could ask was, "Did you know? About what Damon is doing?"

She didn't have to see his face to know his lip had pressed into a thin line and his eyes had hardened. "I promise Alidah, I'm working on it."

Alidah nearly pouted, "Well, sorry Stefano, but you're not doing a very good job."

Stefan gave a humorless laugh, "It's a bit of an uphill battle. Never ending, in fact."

Alidah was close to sleep, yet managed to say, "Why would he do that though, Stefan? What made him that way?"

Stefan sighed, "He's lost a lot, Alidah, but he blames too much on the wrong people. He wants people to hurt the way he does. And I'm not sure if there's a way to make him stop. Here comes Elena and Bonnie, you go home and get some rest now."

She felt his cold palm against her cheek for a brief moment, then it was gone. She could hear the two girls slide in the front seat and begin to whisper. For the first time in a long time, the act of sleep gave Alidah some sweet relief.


End file.
